Interlude at The Ark
by wordsunderthestars
Summary: Onboard The Ark, Shadow meets Kyrin who survived Glendale City's destruction. They share a similar pain of loss. Shadow finds an unexpected function of a Chaos Emerald. The gang then goes on a new mission with the Freedom Fighters to planet Nova12...
1. Chapter 1

There was a silence in the Ark that occasionally became unbearable. On most days, it is a harmless stillness that relaxes even the most stressed out minds, intermingled with the occasional hum of engines being revved during routine checks and enhancements. On some days, a stealthy creepiness threatens to overwhelm vexed souls yearning to be distracted momentarily by any force, physical or substance.

Kyrin watched her own reflection in the glass, foregrounding the Earth, millions of miles below. Her breath makes fleeting mist on the glass, in the blink of an eye all was clear again. It is always cold on the Ark, and her grey hooded sweater never left her sight. She pulled the cream-colored shawl tighter around her neck. The mist comes and goes, slower then faster, and then slower again. Then faster. Then slower.

She gripped the edge of the window to steady herself. The erratic breathing problem escalated surely but slowly. Faster, slower, faster, slower… she felt her body tremble with its instincts to restore balance. Yet her mind, overloaded by emotions, refused to spare her physical self the torment. Faster, slower, faster, faster, faster…

A hand cupped her left elbow and held on tight just as she bent over with the effort to breathe normally. "Steady there."

She turned and saw the black and red fur, the white ruffles and the golden rings on his wrists. Shadow helped her up and watched as she caught her breath, finally. He let go but remained standing at the window. She nodded in silent gratitude.

Kyrin watched their reflections standing next to each other. They were so different, yet of all the people and heroes onboard the Ark, they both knew the same pain.

_Two years ago, Kyrin was just an eighteen year old girl looking for a job. Living in Glendale City with her mother in a tiny rented apartment with only a room, a kitchen and a toilet, Kyrin slept in the living room, on the floor. There was no sofa, and they made do with duvets and sleeping bags from the Salvation Army. Kyrin's mother slept in the room in a similar fashion. Whatever little they had from her mother's ugly divorce was whittled down further to fit into this little apartment. In the corner of the living room, two suitcases and several duffel bags contained all that they had to their names. _

Shadow stared at her reflection, lost in thoughts. Behind those glazed brown eyes, he sensed that she had suppressed loss and pain unarticulated. He frowned, this 20 year old girl has been appearing at his favorite spot ever since she came abroad the Ark. She seldom spoke to anyone and her smiles are always forced. It was as if joy was sucked out of her into space, like he once was.

_The Eggman Laboratories, which had previously accepted her as an intern during her school days, had offered her the position of Assistant Laboratory Technician Support (ALTS). The pay was low, a measly $800/month, which she had to make do with. Being an ALTS meant that she had to clean up the labs and the equipment used. Training would given on the job, and she had to cover the janitor's duties._

_Kyrin was given two pairs of ugly black sneakers and five large white lab coats, the uniform for all employees at the Labs. Being assigned to Lab 47, she was to put all the lab coats of Lab 47 Lab Techs, as well as her own, into the large washing machine at the lab after work each day, and hang them up to dry overnight in the ever-blowing air con. Usually, when this was done, it would be close to 9pm._

_She was often unhappy and exhausted by having to clean the Lab 47 toilets early in the morning at 8am, then spending the day cleaning and sterilising lab equipments. Everyone at Lab 47 is highstrung and nervous. Dr. Eggman amused himself by turning up irregularly and unannounced, and would often sweep glass jars and bottles off the bench tops when he did not get the results he expected. This meant that Kyrin would have to clean up the toxic wastes left behind, while the Lab Techs grumbled at having to wait to carry out their latest experiments. Often, she worked late into the night just to ensure all was in order for the next morning._

A group of scientists scurried by, debating in low, growling voices. Shadow glanced at them unaffectedly, but the girl did not seem to notice. Her breathing was getting erratic again, and he watched her out of the corner of his eye. "There must be a reason for her condition," he thought to himself.

_One night, things went exceptionally smooth. Bokkun came by to inform them that Dr. Eggman was out with Bocoe and Decoe on a secret mission. Right after, the Lab Techs achieved a breakthrough in their Project Eggalomaniac research to produce a metal alloy strong enough to counter Super Sonic attacks. The Lab Techs left work promptly at around 6.30pm, leaving Kyrin with the usual overtime cleaning and sterilization._

_Instead of going ahead immediately, Kyrin decided she needed a dinner break. Taking her homepacked Nutella sandwich –Bokkun had wheedled the strawberry jam sandwich from her at lunch- she took the lift up to the 10th storey. Then she tapped her employee card, opened the stairwell door and headed for the rooftop._

_Things always looked brighter here. Kyrin saw street lights and building glimmering like a million Chaos Emeralds. Everything unhappy seemed to go away, while a quiet joy and peace filled her heart. She sat on a stool, the one she had snuck up earlier when she realized how accessible the rooftop was, and ate her sandwich in silence._

_The sun slipped lower, and a look at her watch showed that it was already 7pm. She gave a little start, so she had been MIA for half an hour! Rising to leave and pushing the stool back into the corner she had hidden it, she turned and faced the next building. A pair of human eyes met her gaze._

_As the last rays of the sun slipped under the horizon of Glendale City, Kyrin saw the face of a young man barely older than her, dressed in black and half hidden in the shadows. A silent moment of fear and uncertainty passed, then both slipped under the cover of darkness into their respective buildings._

A sudden spasm in her chest choked her and she doubled over, knees buckling beneath her. She grabbed at the ledge before her, just as Shadow gripped her elbow with one hand and circled her waist with the other. She looked up, barely registering his face, before she blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

When she opened her eyes again, there was a flicker of hope that she had perhaps died. Silly! One could not have died from holding her breath, right? She blinked and stared at the ceiling blankly. A suddenly movement at her bedside caught her attention.

Shadow roused himself from her desk, where he was busy scribbling something. As elegantly as ever, he shifted the chair next to her bed and sat down. "You passed out. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Kyrin said, but her voice came out weaker than she expected. She realized that she was feeling cold even though she was fully clothed and covered with a blanket. She must have shivered, because Shadow darted a glance at the air con remote controller. The display read 27 degrees Celsius. He frowned ever so slightly.

"I'm fine," she said more firmly, "and thank you for taking me home." It sounds weird, but she did not know what else to say.

"Okay. Mr. Thorndyke will be expecting me at the labs soon, I'd better leave. You might want to stay in today." With that Shadow left, but as he shut the door, his frown returned again. Something is affecting Kyrin so much that it has manifested in physical ailments. The Ark cannot be disturbed by rumors of contagious diseases, and he was sure she did not have any. He decided to focus on his impending discussion instead.

Kyrin pulled the sheets over her head and curled up in a fetal position. Under the warm covers, it was dim and she could just make out her own fingers. It was just like the evenings and nights that she had spent on the rooftops of Dr Robotnik Laboratories.

_The next day, Kyrin went up to the spot where she had seen the man in black. She did not see him, and a sense of relief washed over her. Perhaps he was just an employee from the neighboring building, probably coming up to the roof for a smoke. However, something about his black clothes and his expressionless face worried her. He definitely did not seem please to have been spotted._

"_Coo! Coo!" A flutter of wings startled her. A big grey pigeon landed at her feet, bobbing to and fro. She noticed a tiny roll of paper attached to its foot. She picked the bird up, unrolled the paper and read its contents._

'_Who are you?' She frowned and looked around, but did not see anyone. The pigeon sat staring squarely at her. She took the blue ballpoint pen from her lab coat pocket and wrote, 'Kyrin, TEL ALTS. Who are you?'_

_The pigeon took her note and flew right to the roof of the next building. As Kyrin watched with bated breath, the young man appeared with the note in hand. She stiffened and wondered what to do. He did not even look at her, but wrote something in the note, roll it up and tossed the pigeon back into the sky. It came back to her with a note: 'Kim Woo, FF. You should not be here.'_

'_I work here. Why?'_

'_Danger.'_

'_Why?'_

'_You are too young to die.'_

'_So are you. Gtg, see you.' As she tossed the pigeon back in to the air, she picked up her empty lunchbox and rushed off without looking back. It was just as well, for the moment she reached Lab 47, Bokkun came wailing about Bokoe spilling iodine solution all over the pantry and could she please clean it up immediately because he was in the midst of a wondrous apple pie?_

KNOCK KNOCK!

Kyrin rolled out of bed reluctantly and opened the door. Sonic and Chris stood there with an aluminium container between them. "Hey! I heard you were sick. Feeling better now?" Chris asked timidly. He seemed unsure of what to say.

"Uh yeah, thanks."

"Well nothing works better than some of Cream and Amy's chicken soup! Eat up, and you'll be up and runnin' in no time. Wouldn't want to be sick that often when you're up here, do you?" chirped Sonic. If there is anyone who could be cheerful about being in the Ark, it has to be him. Apparently, he had "found an awesome treadmill somewhere in the storehouse" and it has kept him pretty happy.

"Thank you. I will see you later," she forced a smile.

"Nah, don't. Shadow's words are the orders today. You're staying in until tomorrow. Good day, mam!" Sonic waved and walked back down the hallway with Chris.

'_See you later' was what she had written on the note to Kim Woo. She wondered what he had meant by all those funny things. The next day, she exchanged her neighbor's kindly donation of chocolate cake with Bokkun for his hotdog bun and headed for the roof. The pigeon brought a new message. 'DE will kill everyone.'_

'_I still need to pay rent.'_

'_What do you do?'_

'_Wash glass jars, lab coats and the toilets.' _

'_This place is unsafe.'_

'_Warn me right before you storm it.'_

'_Not so soon.'_

'_Good. I need my pay.'_

_The next day, Kim Woo did not appear at the rooftop. Kyrin found an unfamiliar white box with a white envelope on it. The box was filled with 10 pieces of ribbon in 10 colors. Inside the envelope was a card with a list of colors. The first one was already done._

White –I am here  
Yellow –  
Orange –  
Pink –  
Red –  
Green –  
Blue –  
Purple –  
Grey –  
Black –


	3. Chapter 3

_They filled in the blanks as days passed, and tied the ribbons where each other can see them clearly. Sometimes they did not see each other for weeks. Kim Woo's assignments took him to many places, and sometimes he returned looking grim but undefeated. Today Kyrin looked at her card._

White – I am here  
Yellow – I am busy  
Orange – I am fine  
Pink – _  
Red – Be careful  
Green – Are you ok?  
Blue - _  
Purple – _  
Grey – _  
Black – _

_The pigeon cooed and brought her his card. 'Pink – I am hungry.'_

'_Blue – Let's meet tonight.' It was impulsive, but her mother had told her that she would be travelling out of town to meet an aunt, and would not be back till tomorrow. She could go home late without having to explain. On top of that, Dr Eggman had announced an urgent meeting with the Lab Techs and demanded that everyone leaves by 6pm. Of course the catch was that the ALTS have to return earlier next morning to wash the lab coats from tonight. _

_The pigeon returned but not with his card. It was a grimy piece of receipt for band aids, with his handwriting on the back. '7.30pm, Kim's Ramen, Station Square.'_

_She frowned, Station Square is far away and it would be rush hour. However, seeing that his surreptitious business must not be discovered, she decided to go along. She phoned her mother from the lab, informing her of the evening plans, then proceeded with the day as usual. Bokkun was exceptionally good, which meant that he must've been bullied again and was sulking in a corner. He came by to say that Decoe and Bocoe had smashed his cherry pie during a quarrel with Dr Eggman, then flew away in tears. _

Shadow did not notice what he ate for dinner. His thoughts floated back to Maria again, and felt the dull ache in his heart for the umpteenth time. Kyrin's glazed eyes reminded him of his own past, and he couldn't stop thinking about it tonight. Snippets of the dinner conversations came to him; apparently Chris and Sonic are discussing whether they should visit Kyrin with apples or oranges. Amy argued that girls love candies and strawberry jellies would be the best. Cream and Cheese thought both were marvelous, while Knuckles snorted and Rouge informed them that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Presently, the conclusion was a glass of milk and they left it as that.

_When they met outside the restaurant, she realized how slim he was. He looked more like a teenager than a young man spying for the Freedom Fighters. Kim Woo looked tired but happy. As they sat down to their ramen bowls, he asked her bluntly, "Have you spoken to anyone about our conversations?"_

"_No. Nobody talks about such stuff there, anyway."_

"_Good. If you had talked, you would be in trouble."_

"_I know he wants to do something bad to this city."_

"_Yes. That is why you should leave."_

"_I can't. I need the money."_

"_If there comes a day, and I tell you to leave at once, go immediately and don't hesitate. Trust me."_

"_Ok, I trust you."_

_Then over dinner, he told her about how he had been at a university orientation programme when the Freedom Fighters appeared for recruitment. Many students were afraid to join in but there were some who signed up and left school immediately. Kim Woo was one of them._

_They went to Glendale City Park and sat by the pond. It was 9pm and few people were around. The water shone under the pale moonlight. A dog barked somewhere, a child wailed and cars honked in the distance. It all seemed so surreal, this Freedom Fighters thing, when all around her appeared normal. "Almost as if it were a dream," Kim Woo said, as if reading her thoughts. She nodded in silent agreement._

_There wasn't much to say. She did not want to ask about his family, his background, his likes and dislikes. He wasn't allowed to speak about it. They both knew that someday soon, it would not matter where they came from and how many siblings they had. Lives would be at stake and by then, all that mattered would be to stay alive. There was no future except that of destruction, as long as TEL existed and FF operated._

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Feeling better?" Everyone stood at the door this time, and Shadow handed her a glass of milk. "It's from all of us," Amy said, "we hope you will be better soon."

"Thank you, that is very kind of you."

"Shadow, why don't you have a chat with her? We have got to get going." And with that, she shoved him into Kyrin's room and shut the door. Shadow walked over to Kyrin's desk, sat down and continued scribbling. He did not say anything until she came over to look.

"Here you go." He had filled the page with symbols, doodles and chemical formulae. Kyrin looked back at him blankly.

"This is how I feel. I think this is what you feel like, too. There is no sense in it, but oppressing thoughts of confusion and pain. I just want you to know that you are not alone." With that, he got up and left.

_Her communication with Kim Woo were mostly done via the colored ribbons. White – I am here. Green – Are you ok? Orange – I am fine. Yellow – I am busy. Red – Be careful._

_Their conversation rarely ventured into how and why. Kyrin thought that perhaps, both of them just needed to know that someone out there is aware of their existence. One day, Kim Woo tied the blue and purple ribbons and the card_ _came with a new addition for purple. _

White – I am here  
Yellow – I am busy  
Orange – I am fine  
Pink – I am hungry  
Red – Be careful  
Green – Are you ok?  
Blue – Let's meet tonight  
Purple – Same old place  
Grey – _  
Black – _

_At Kim's Ramen, he looked uptight and nervous. "What is it, Kim Woo?" she asked._

"_Things are bad. You might have to leave soon."_

"_How bad?"_

"_I cannot tell you, we are not sure either."_

"_Will I find you again after I leave?"_

"_Maybe. But it might be safer not to."_

_There was an awkward silence between them. Yes, it was safer not to know, not be see each other again. They can't track down whom you have not met, and they can't get you for what you are not aware of. That night they watched the waters in the pond, but all seemed gloomier. Thunder rolled in the distance as they set off to catch the last bus home._

_Kyrin laid her head on Kim Woo's shoulder as the bus cruised towards her tiny apartment. Neither of them said a word, and the night grew longer and darker. The bus was silent, apart from an old lady and a middleaged businessman sleeping in the aisles in front. All was silent except for their breaths and heartbeats._


	4. Chapter 4

Shadow came with a paper bag. He said nothing and put it on Kyrin's lap. She looked in and smelled fruits. There were red and green apples, about 8 of them. At the side was a small container, which contained cut oranges. Kyrin ate the oranges while Shadow watched out of the corner of his eye.

"Thank you for the fruits," she said.

"You are most welcome." It was Chris's idea to have the oranges cut _before_ they sent it to her, because they did not trust her with a knife. Chris was worried Kyrin might cut herself, accidentally on purpose, if her emotional state was unstable. The gang had observed that she seemed out of sorts even though she was now able to back to work in the Ark labs.

Shadow thought it was strange that she ate the oranges so nonchalantly. He'd picked the most sour ones, to test if she would notice. As usual, she does not seem to be in touch with the world. Her eyes glazed over again, and she ate them as if they were plain bread. His eyes slid to the little dustbin nearby, where empty packets of chilli sauce laid. Just the night before, they were full and lying on her desk while he scribbled away. There did not seem to have been anything to go with them. Could she have eaten them from the packet? That was not impossible, but it seemed a strange thing to do. Surely she would have a hard time swallowing all of them? Unless she could not taste…

Kyrin looked up and handed Shadow the container. "I think this belongs to Amy. Please thank her for me," she said and smiled wanly. He smiled politely and took the box. "I will check on you later," he said, "just to make sure you are alright."

_When she opened the door to Lab 47, a heated argument was going on. At first, she thought that some experiment had gone wrong, or maybe Bokkun had been up to some of his explosive tricks and messed up important research procedures. But the Bokkun sped towards her and pulled at her ponytail, tied on the left of her head._

"_Kyrin! We are going to die! We are all dead! Boohoohoohoo.."_

"_What happened, Bokkun?"_

"_Somebody sneaked into this building and stole several important files from the Main Labs in the basements. They also broke into the other labs downstairs, and we are not sure what else they have taken or made copies of!"_

"_How can that be?"_

"_Nobody knows! Dr Eggman will kill all of us! He thinks that it is the Freedom Fighters who did it, and he blames us for not preventing this from happening!"_

_Kyrin's heart went to her mouth. 'Kim Woo?' she wondered. 'Could he have got in from the rooftop? Could he have…used me to find a way in?' Then she argued that he could not have done that. The Freedom Fighters are so advanced, they probably had a way of entering all planned out even before she got the job. No, she could not have been the cause. Swallowing her fears, she consoled Bokkun and said that she was sure no one will be hurt. "Let's go get lunch together later," she coaxed, "and you can have my green apple, you will feel better after eating it."_

_As she spoke, there was a soft click on her head. She always held up her fringe with a black plastic hairclip, and at this moment it broke. This coincidence was too much for Bokkun, who saw it as a bad omen and forgot about the apple, wailing down the hallway. As she picked up the broken hairclip, Kyrin wondered if Bokkun might have been right. There was no time for what if, because she had work to do and the Lab Techs were not in the mood to be nice._

_That evening, while the lab coats spun merrily in the washing machine, Kyrin ventured up to the rooftop again. It was late but she could see the ribbons from the neighboring rooftop. 'White – I am here', 'Green – Are you ok?'_

_She pondered whether to ask him, and across the rooftop she could see him watching her in anticipation. There were two more blanks left on the card. What should she say? 'Orange – I am fine.'_

_Kim Woo smiled, but she thought he looked tired and listless. 'Green – Are you ok?' she signaled. 'Orange – I am fine.' She was about to think of the last two blanks when he signaled, 'Yellow – I am busy' and 'Red – Be Careful'. Then he was gone from the rooftop. _

"_Kim Woo," she thought as she bit into the apple, "I'm afraid."_

Shadow knocked softly on Kyrin's door. It was near lights out, and he wondered if she was already asleep. There was a thud from the other side of the door, and what sounded like muffled sobs. Worry surfaced, and he turned the knob. She had locked the door from inside. Frowning, he took out his blue Chaos Emerald. "Chaos Control!"

Once he was inside her room, his eyes adjusted to the darkness rapidly. Kyrin was lying on the floor. She had eaten 6 of the apples at one go, the last of them still half eaten in her hand. She was crying so hard that her erratic breathing problem returned. There were about half a dozen empty beer cans on the floor and the room reeked of stale beer.

Shadow rushed over and picked her up. The half eaten apple fell to the ground with a sullen thud. Kicking aside the beer cans, he carried her to her bed and laid her down. He dampened a small towel at her wash basin and gently wiped her face with it, pushing away hair from her face. Her eyes were shut tightly, but the tears kept oozing. She had cried so hard that she could not utter a sound anymore.

Shadow wondered what to do. Maybe he should get help. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Kyrin whispered something. He turned and leant closer. She was repeating the same words, "Don't go… don't leave me… please…" Something made him want to run out the door and shut it behind him. Her sobs reminded him of his own loss. He wanted to suppress his own painful feelings by going away, but he felt sorry for Kyrin.

The half eaten apple caught his eye. Lying on its whole side, the gaping hole seemed to scream, "I'm never going to be whole again!" The longer he looked at it, the more certain he was that he should stay.

He sat on the bed and cradled her head awkwardly in his lap. Stroking her hair as if she was a lost kitten, he waited for her sobs to die down. The lights in the hallways went out and still he waited. Eventually, the sleep crept in and even the maimed apple went out of sight.


	5. Chapter 5

_Shadow saw Kyrin in Glendal City. He looked around and saw this must've been her memory. He saw through her eyes and felt through her heart. As he watched, she bid her mother a loving goodbye and proceeded to TEL._

_Along the roads, there were road blocks and armed guards on patrol. Shadow felt Kyrin's heart beating faster. Some roads were closed off, and as she drew nearer to the city centre, some people were being evacuated. 'What is going on?' He heard her thoughts too._

_Kyrin took the lift upstairs and entered Lab 47. Shadow followed, invisible to all, and watched her daily routine. He also watched the actions of the Lab Techs. There wasn't much to notice, the main action did not go on in her lab, but possibly downstairs in the subterranean laboratories which are off-limits to most staff._

_At lunch time, he followed Kyrin up to the roof. There was a box of ribbons and a card stating what each color stood for. Kyrin looked to the neighboring rooftop and Shadow followed. He saw a few ribbons. 'Red – Be careful', 'Blue – let's meet tonight' and 'Purple – Same old place'._

_BOOM! Kyrin spun around and now she is gaping at something over his shoulder. Shadow turned and saw a good part of the outskirts being smote to the ground. Debris crashed into the surroundings and embers flew in the air. Although their building was not close enough to feel the effects, Shadow felt intense terror and helplessness from Kyrin. Then he heard her thoughts, 'Mum!' before everything went black._

_Flash forward. It was as if Kyrin's blackout had taken some memories with her. Now she was on her way to Kim's Ramen. There were tear stains on her face and she tried to wipe them away. She walked quickly but blindly, and suddenly someone bumped into her from behind. Before she could react, the same person had her elbow in an iron grip. He pushed her into an alley before she could yell, and started to run. Shadow ran with her, ignoring the back alley smells of drain water and garbage. The assailant took a right turn, then a left again. _

"_It's me," Kim Woo pulled off the black cap he was wearing. Kyrin looked into his soft brown eyes and started to cry. He did not seem surprised, but held her in silence. Between her sobs, Kyrin told him how Dr Eggman had launched an experimental shot at her estate, deeming it rundown and purposeless. Nothing remained of the estate and no one survived. Her mother, the friendly neighbor and everyone else had been killed._

_Shadow frowned. Kim Woo does not seem surprised at all. So he knew it all along? Before he could think any further, Kyrin spoke up. "Did you know? Did you know he would strike? Did you try to tell me?"_

_Kim Woo shifted his gaze. He pulled her back into an embrace and said, "No, I did not. I really just wanted to see you. I did not know that he would act so swiftly and ruthlessly. If I had known, I would have told you to leave this city in advance. I am so sorry about your mother, Kyrin."_

Kyrin snuggled close and buried her face in the soft warmth next to her. She missed her mother and Kim Woo so much. In her dream, they were there together, out in the alley. She snuggled closer to him and felt his warm furry jacket rub against her face.

Furry?

Her eyes flew open. She was hugging something black and red. She blinked and saw the familiar pair of skates next to her bed. 'Oh no,' she thought. At this moment, Shadow opened his eyes and calmly shifted her head from his lap onto her pillow. As coolly as ever, he brushed down his fur and stood up.

"I must have fallen asleep," he said. She nodded in agreement, unsure of what else to say.

"You have had too much to drink last night. I would advise you not to repeat that again." This time he looked straight into her eyes and she saw that he was angry. She nodded again, point taken.

Shadow looked at the clock on the wall. "You have awaken an hour earlier than usual. That would give you enough time to clean this mess and sober up. I'm not giving you an excuse to stay in again."

"Ok," she whispered feebly.

Shadow gestured in the direction of the cafeteria, "Get yourself some green tea. It would help." Then he exit from her room and walked down the hallway towards Chuck's workshop.

"Hey there! Rise and shine already?" Sonic chirped as Shadow entered the workshop. Most of the gang were still in their rooms, except Chuck who was off making coffee in his own pantry.

"I was with Kyrin last night and something strange happened," Shadow said, walking over to the table top and taking out the blue Chaos Emerald. "She was dreaming and I fell asleep. I think the Chaos Emerald transported me into her dream. I felt everything as though I were her. I saw all her memories."

"You what? Wait, you stayed over with her? I never knew you were such a pet!"

"That is not the point. I want to know how this came about. Can the Emeralds link the thoughts of people who are in possession of it?"

Chuck entered the workshop and the aroma of coffee filled the room. He thought for a moment, then said, "I suppose, Shadow, that with your abilities to use Chaos Control, there are possibly many thought-maneuvered accomplishments that both you and Sonic can achieve. However, this dream-reading is quite a feat, and could be both a boon and a bane. Use it wisely, Shadow."

"Yeah, you don't want to make your human pet angry," quipped Sonic, smirking mischievously. Shadow ignored him, thanked Chuck, picked up his Emerald and left the room. With his newly-acquired knowledge of Kyrin's past, he now knows what's bothering her. But he felt bad about peeking into her thoughts. However, there were more important things at hand, and he moved off towards his room.

"No way, we've had 5 rounds! I won!"

"2 of the rounds were ties, so they do not count!"

"Hey, who said there was such a rule?"

"Its common sense."

"Its not!"

Kyrin stood in the doorway of the cafeteria. She was early but Chris and Knuckles were already seated and fighting over something. She decided to get herself some food and leave them to their devices. The coffee dispenser was just within reach, just a few more steps…

"KYRIN!"

Uh oh. She turned around tentatively and faced Knuckles. "Hi," she said.

"Come here!" he yanked her over to the table. "You decide!" he growled.

"Um, decide what?"

Chris spoke up, "We were playing Rock Paper and Scissors. So I won the first round, the second was a tie, Knuckles won the third and the fourth was a tie again. So then Knuckle won the fifth round…"

Knuckles cut him off. "There were only supposed to be five rounds! I won! But he claims the ties do not count so it is still 2-1. That is unfair!"

"You can't count ties! _That's_ unfair!" Chris protested.

"Well Kyrin what do you say?" Knuckles sulked. Kyrin couldn't help but smile at this familiar game. It was such a long time ago since anyone played it with her. "Well, I'm sorry Knuckles, people I know all think ties do not count. But you still won anyway, right?" she said.

"No!" Chris cried, "that means we have two more rounds to win! C'mon Knuckles, I'm going to win you because I do not want to help Rouge rearrange her room!"

"What?" Kyrin was confused.

"Rouge said that whichever of us loses has to help rearrange her room." Chris winked at Knuckles, "He should do it, he is stronger."

"I won't do it!" Knuckles pounded the table. Chris opened his palm, "Paper! I win!"

"Not fair!"

"Last round!"

"What? You…" Knuckles pointed at Chris but he raised his fist. "Whoops, Rock. Knuckles, get ready to help Rouge with her furniture!" Knuckles growled something about humans being as sly as bats, and walked over to get himself some food.

Kyrin sat opposite Chris. "Chris, can you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Sure! What is it?"

"Erm, I need a frame for this," she said, producing the piece of paper that Shadow had drawn on. "Do you know where to find one in here?"

"Find one? I could make you one in no time. Say, this handwriting sure looks familiar."

"Oh, um does it?"

"Sure it does!" Knuckles was back and looking over her shoulder. "Now where have I seen it before?"

"Um Chris, I'll buy you coffee for the favor," Kyrin interrupted.

"Ok! Sure…" Chris folded the paper carefully and they left for the coffee dispenser, leaving Knuckles wondering.


	6. Chapter 6

Kyrin walked to her lab and stationed herself at the cleaning room. There was so much to clean. Bottles, beakers, spatulas, and many more strange equipment. The work here was not very different from TEL.

She turned on the tap and started swirling water in a conical flask. The trickle and splash of the water sounded like rain. Her thoughts went back to the game of Rock Paper and Scissors that Knuckles and Chris were playing.

"_Rock, Paper, Scissors!"_

"_Rock, Paper, Scissors!"_

_Kyrin watched two little children ran along the bank of the pond in Glendale City Park. The little boy, the elder child, was winning. His sister was trying to catch up with him. Everytime she loses, she must count to five while he ran ahead. After losing for 3 times in a row, she sat down and cried. She kicked off her shoes into the pond, and they made small splashes._

"_What happened, Tammy?" her brother came running back anxiously._

"_I don't want to play anymore, Danny! I don't want to play with you! It is not fair!"_

_Kyrin watched and thought of how she used to play this in school. There would always be a competition in class, it was almost a daily thing. Random classmates would be selected for Rock Paper Scissors or arm-wrestling, there was always a choice. Most girls chose the former. The winner will get to take a candy from the classroom candy jar. Whenever she won a candy, Kyrin would keep it in her pocket and wait until she got home from school. Then she would give her mother the candy and proclaim proudly, "Mummy, I won again today!"_

_A tear ran down her left cheek as she recalled the moments she shared with her mother. She was never close with her father and it did not really matter to her where he was. But her mother was her pillar of strength. Mother never gave up however bad the circumstances got, she always pushed ahead and found a way around it. She seldom talked about her problems but when she did, Kyrin could see that years of pressure and stress had whittled her from a blooming youthful lady to a skinny middle aged waif. Still, she was a positive woman and she would survive any calamity, even a horrible divorce._

_But she could not cheat death. In the end, she died and the world went on as usual. Another teardrop splashed down on her lap. Kyrin felt alone all of a sudden. She wondered how life would go on from here. What would my future be like? Everything seems to be slipping away…_

_Kim Woo sat down next to her, slipping his handphone into his pocket. He had been preoccupied by FF work and barely had time to meet her. It has been 5 days since the blasting of her home. She refused to return to TEL. He had arranged for her accommodation in a small hotel in the city. "What are you thinking about?" he asked._

"_The future."_

"_What do you see?"_

"_Nothing." Kyrin laid her head on his shoulder. Say something, she hoped, say anything now and I would believe you. Say you will always be here for me._

"_Me too. There is nothing in the future. The war is coming, everything will be gone."_

_Her hopes crashed to the ground, shards of it splintering and scattering all over, like the sparkling ripples on the pond surface. The evening sun dipped lower and the ripples turned red._

_Kim Woo continued, "I am glad that you did not come back to work. I won't be able to send you warnings if anything happens. There is too much activity in Eggman's base. The FF cannot predict when he will strike and we do not know how large scale his demolition projects would be."_

_Kyrin said nothing. She needed hope and comfort, but she did not want to ask for it. Kim Woo seemed to have moved along with things, but she was not ready. The children are not skipping stones at the pond. She looked at them and thought of Kim Woo and herself. He was running ahead, not knowing where he would end up in. She was trying to catch up, no knowing where he would stop._

_Kim Woo put his hand on hers. "I know you have lost a lot, but I have to tell you to leave. Glendale City will be destroyed eventually. Please leave as soon as you can."_

"_Kim Woo, will you ever find me?"_

"_I have to fight until Eggman is destroyed. You must not wait for me." He took out his colors card and showed it to her. The last two blanks were filled up._

White – I am here

Yellow – I am busy

Orange – I am fine

Pink – I am hungry

Red – Be careful

Green – Are you ok?

Blue - Let's meet tonight

Purple – Same old place

Grey – I must go

Black – Danger, leave now

_Kyrin took hers out and copied down the last two blanks. Then she wrote something on his card and gave it back to him. He was about to read it when his handphone rang again. He stepped out of hearing range to answer the call, slipping it casually into his pocket._

_He came back after hanging up and handed her an envelope. She opened it and found a train ticket to the airport, a plane ticket to Seoul and directions to a booked accomodation. There was a wad of cash as well. She stared at them motionlessly, trying to take in the severity of the situation._

_Kim Woo took her free hand gently, and pressed something into her palm. She looked up and saw a beautiful green apple. Around its stem were two ribbons. 'Grey – I must go' and 'Black – Danger, leave now'. _

_He turned to leave, but Kyrin hugged him from behind. "Kim Woo, I will see you again right? You will find me, right?" He did not answer. She knew now that his answer would be no, but she did not want to hear it. "Promise me you will be safe," she whispered as tears began to cloud her vision. The sun slipped below the horizon and a veil of darkness fell over them._

_Kim Woo turned his head and whispered back, "I know. I promise I will. You must stay alive." He put his hands over hers and squeezed them tightly for a moment, then parted them from his waist and broke her embrace. Then he walked off into the night, without turning back. _

_Kyrin stood at that spot for a long time. It began to drizzle and soon her tears were mixed with the raindrops. The children were gone. The sun was gone. Everyone was gone now._

CRASH!

Everyone looked up at Kyrin, who had knocked over a cleaned beaker. She bent down immediately to sweep up the glass shards, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. 'Everyone left me,' a voice whispered at the back of her mind. It was too much to bear.

A gloved hand reached out and took the glass shard that she was reaching for. She looked up and saw Shadow picking up the pieces on the floor. He did not look at her, and once he was done he dumped everything into the dustbin nearby. Nobody said a word.

Then he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, as if in deep thought. Finally he said, "I will speak with you later." Eyes followed his black and red form as he glided elegantly past the rows of benches and disappeared out the door.

'I am in trouble. I think Shadow seemed angry,' Kyrin thought as she walked back to her room. As she passed by Chuck's workshop, Sonic called out, "Hey Human Pet! Your picture frame is ready!"

"What did you call me?"

"Oh uh, nothing! Heh heh heh…"

Chris came out with the frame. "I heard you were busy in the labs so I did not send it over. Anyway, here it is! I made it out of glass and aluminium because we don't work with wood a lot here. I hope you like it," he said, nudging Sonic to shut up.

"Whatever you make, she'll love it, pal. After all, you were framing her love letter!" The nudge didn't work after all.

"Its not a love letter… Thanks Chris." Kyrin left awkwardly.

"Hey, what's up with the Human Pet?"

"Oh Sonic, leave her alone already? Can't you see that was embarrassing?" Chris groaned.

Shadow was waiting at her door. "What's that you are holding?" he asked. She showed him the picture. He raised an eyebrow, "Why did you frame it for?"

"I don't know. It looked nice." It was the truth, but he eyed her strangely for a second and she thought he was getting angry. But he shrugged and said, "Let's talk inside."


	7. Chapter 7

Shadow came into the room after her. He surveyed the room while she locked the door behind them. She had done a pretty good job of cleaning up despite a hangover. The apple cores and beer cans are gone. The room smelt of her sweet and floral perfume instead of stale beer. The 2 untouched apples sat at the side of her desk. Kyrin placed the framed drawing behind them and sat down on her bed.

"We have important stuff to talk about," Shadow said, and sat down next to her. He took out the blue Chaos Emerald and filled her in about what he saw the previous night. "I am sorry if I saw too much," he added, giving her a sidelong glance.

For a moment, Kyrin did not speak. She seemed to be deep in thought, staring at her toes. She felt annoyed. How dare a Chaos Emerald reveal her problems to another person? Just because they are sought after all over the universe, they assumed they had the right to do so? Just because they are precious and powerful did not mean that they had a right to –

She looked up and saw the framed drawing. The fine, intricate lines and details seemed to beg her to calm down. She thought of how he would always appear at the same spot she was at, and both would acknowledge each other's presence without speaking. She thought of how he had helped her when she was unwell, how he had never asked for her reason but extended his concern in his own quiet way. Shadow is a friend, and maybe she should not keep so much from him.

"It is alright, Shadow," she replied at length, "because sometimes, I really wish there was someone to talk to." She looked over at him and managed a small smile.

Shadow held the Emerald in his hand silently for a moment. Then he faced her and asked, "I would like to try it again. Will you help me?"

Kyrin nodded, "Ok, I will." She placed her hand over the Chaos Emerald, her finger tips touching the palm of his gloved hand. They waited. And waited…

Slowly but surely, their eyelids grew heavy. The Emerald gave off a soft glow that seemed to lull them into a daze. Then the glow got brighter and Kyrin felt sleep creeping upon them.

_She was back in her hotel room. The envelope was on the bed, emptied of its contents. To her surprise, she had found a smaller package inside, which she had not noticed while in the park. It was a dark blue hairclip, plain in design but similar to the black one that she had. So Kim Woo had noticed that her hairclip was gone. 'He was so attentive to details, he must have cared a lot about me,' she thought, as tears welled up in her eyes. 'Why did he leave just like this? I need to know if he would find me. I need to know if there would be something that I can come back for.'_

_Shadow watched Kyrin put the hairclip gently into her hair. So that was the hairclip she always wore. A minor detail, really, and no one would've bothered to ask about its origins. Now he knew that there was more to it than just a functional piece of accessory._

_Kyrin woke up to screams and explosions. She jolted out of bed and rushed to the window. Shadow was already there and watching the scene below. People were fleeing with their belongings, pulling loved ones and children along. Not so far away, buildings were being blown up. Sirens wailed as people were evacuated. The destruction has begun._

_Kyrin got dressed and packed her belongings. She grabbed the envelope and ran out of the hotel. Shadow followed her out into the streets nearby. Everything was chaotic and people were being ushered into subway tunnels for their own safety._

"_What do I do? What do I do?" a frail voice wailed from the corner of a street. Kyrin saw a young mother with a toddler sitting on the ground and crying. Her belongings were scattered all over and she was frantically picking them up and putting them back into a duffel bag. "What do I do?" the young mother repeated to herself, wiping her tears away with grimy hands. Her toddler wailed out loud nearby and she bent over to hush him._

"_What happened, Miss?" asked Kyrin._

"_Robber…he took my money and my train ticket. I need to get out of here, I don't want my child to die. But I have nothing now and I cannot escape. Oh what do I do now?" sobbed the young mother. _

_A dozen thoughts raced through Kyrin's mind. From the envelope, she took out $200 from that wad of cash. She did not even count how much was left, but it was a lot. She thrusted the envelope into the young mother's hands. "Take this, take the train to Tokyo. The plane ticket is useless to you, because it is under my name, but at least you can get to Tokyo safely," she said. Then she pulled the young mother to her feet, and ushered her and her child in the direction of the subway. The young mother looked at her with dazed eyes and uttered, "Thank you! Thank you!" Then they swallowed up by the crowd, and Kyrin was left alone at the street corner._

_Shadow did not understand what happened next, because Kyrin's memory became a grey mess. It was likely that she became disoriented from the confusion and fear. Whatever the case, he next found himself on the rooftop of TEL with Kyrin. The buildings around TEL were largely destroyed and in the distance, Eggman's ships where flattening any edifice they could find._

_Kyrin found the box of ribbons and tied the grey one up. Shadow heard her voice in his head, "I wrote it on you card, Kim Woo. Did you read it?" Suddenly he saw through her recollections. 'Grey – I must go / I love you.' So that was what she wrote on his card. _

"_FREEZE!"_

_Kyrin turned around and saw a group of Freedom Fighters. "What are you doing here?" yelled the man leading the team. They surrounded her warily._

"_Sir, she is a civilian."_

"_We cannot be sure."_

"_There is no time sir, this building's going to go."_

"_Take her with us." Suddenly, a loud whirring was heard and a black chopper appeared behind them. Before Kyrin could speak, the men grabbed her and tossed her into the chopper. As they ascended to a safe height, Kyrin and Shadow watched as an enormous explosion ripped the TEL building apart, disintegrating everything that was on its premises. Then everything went dark._

Shadow opened his eyes slowly from the deep, dark dream. He found himself lying down on Kyrin's bed. The Chaos Emerald was still firmly gripped in his hand. Next to him, he could make out her sleeping form in the dark, curled up and facing him. Her hand was still on the Emerald as well.

'Nice, warm and furry,' Kyrin thought as she snuggled closer. The aircon was cold but…

"YARRRRGGHHH!" Kyrin cried out, before covering her mouth in embarrassment. Shadow looked at her with a deadpan expression. 'Not again,' she thought. She pulled her grey sweater up and covered half of her face.

Shadow sat up slowly and brushed down his quills. "It worked. I saw everything," he said softly, giving her a sympathetic look. Then his brows knitted together and he asked sharply, "Did you see anything… about me?"

Kyrin nodded awkwardly. She shifted her eyes to the Emerald still enclosed in their hands. She released her hold on it. The blue glow was gone now, and it sat innocently on Shadow's palm, as though nothing had ever happened.

Shadow stood up and put away the Emerald. "Thank you for your help. It is now 4am. I need to get some sleep. We will talk about this later," he said, and left the room.

Kyrin could not get back to sleep. By 6am she was dressed and walking to the cafeteria. Thoughts of what she had seen and what she knew Shadow had seen whirled in her mind. At the same time, it was a relief to finally have somebody to share her load with. She felt especially hungry today.

The only other person in the cafeteria happened to be Shadow. The air particles choked and died the moment their gaze met. Still awkward from knowing too much within the span of a night, they said nothing but sat opposite each other, eating their chilli corndogs in silence. As Kyrin sipped at her coffee, Sonic burst in.

"Chilli corndogs!" Sonic yelled in glee. He grabbed his food and sat next to them. "Morning to Shadow and the Human Pet!" he cried.

Kyrin stared blankly while Shadow began analyzing his coffee with interest.

"Uh nothing, I just like making names," chuckled Sonic. "Say, you two have been hanging out pretty often, haven't you? Seems like Unfriendly-Me has found a friend!" He suddenly narrowed his eyes and leant toward Kyrin, "You guys are not on a breakfast date, are you?"

The air particles would have committed hara-kiri right then and there, if Amy had not turned up as fresh as a spring daisy. "SONIC! Have you heard? There is going to be a dinner party tomorrow night, in honor of the Freedom Fighters arriving today!" she cried, plonking herself next to him. "Sonic, this is your chance to make up for last Friday."

"Last Friday? What did I do?"

"YOU FORGOT THAT YOU FORGOT OUR DATE?"

"No I didn't. I mean, I was just thinking of what to wear."

Tension melted away into their banter. Kyrin and Shadow left the two hedgehogs to their devices and headed for their respective work stations.


	8. Chapter 8

Kyrin stretched her neck this way and that as she walked towards her room. In the silence of the corridor, she could hear every squeak her sneakers made. She was a few steps away from her door when new footsteps appeared. A pair of polished black boots stood in front of her.

"So, we meet again, Kyrin," said a familiar voice indifferently. It was the voice of Ms. Nadina, a woman about 30 years old. She wore a pressed black uniform with FFHR stitched on her left breast pocket. Ms. Nadina was the leader of the Tokyo-based Freedom Fighters Human Resistance. So these were the Freedom Fighters that Amy were referring to.

"Hello, Ms Nadina."

"It has been a long time, almost 2 years, am I right?" Ms. Nadina continued in a smooth, icy voice. Years of warring had hardened her to human emotions and she operates by the motto "Do What's Right".

"Yes, almost 2 years."

"You still have that same expression. Are you still hung up over that kid?"

Kyrin tensed. "I am doing well, Ms Nadina. Thank you," she replied, and stepped around her. Ms. Nadina shifted and cut her off from her exit.

"Kyrin, we have told you before. There is no such person as Kim Woo with the FF. He should be one of the mercenaries whom we employ on a contract basis. Apparently, our contract with that kid has ended."

"So?"

"Whatever name and personal information he gave to you is of no value. He could have been anyone, he could have lied about his name, his age and even his allegiance. He was paid to do a job and he did. You should not have placed hopes on someone you did not even know."

"I don't think he lied to me, Ms. Nadina."

Ms Nadina smiled coldly, adjusting her hair deliberately with an air of sophistication. "I would have you know that someone who resembled him was spotted by a FF member on a stakeout mission."

Kyrin looked up sharply, her heart pounding fast. Her hopes lifted ever so slightly, but Ms Nadina's blank expression dampened her hopes.

"I cannot reveal to you all of his information, but his name is not Kim Woo. The boy was 16, two years younger than you. He never attended any university. He was employed as a mercenary in exchange for release from prison for arson and aggravated assault. Our stakeout spies last saw him at Eggman's base. It seems he is permanently based there now." Ms. Nadina turned away from Kyrin, letting the information sink in. "Your cooperation with him has greatly aided our efforts against Eggman, I thank you for it. A mercenary exists only for the period of time when he is in your service. After that, everything is of no importance anymore."

Kyrin leant against the wall in silence. She did not want to believe everything she had just heard. Had he not tried to help her get away? He wouldn't have done that for nothing.

Ms Nadina looked over Kyrin's shoulder suddenly. "Well, well!" she exclaimed, "if it isn't Shadow, Sonic and Knuckles! You are just in time for the FF conference." She ignored Kyrin and walked over to them. "Come, we shall be starting soon and your opinions are highly valued."

Shadow and Sonic looked over at Kyrin, but Ms Nadina stood in front of them. "We are running late, little heroes," she informed stiffly.

Knuckles snorted, "I'm not interested in conferences. These two will fill me in later. I've got the Master Emerald to watch over." He nodded at Shadow and Sonic, who returned his nod.

"Well, then I will see you around. Hurry up, Shadow and Sonic," said Ms. Nadina as she hurried down the hallway.

"Make sure she is ok," said Shadow, casting a glance at Kyrin, who did not seem to notice them.

"No problem. Get going now." Knuckles waited until the duo were out of earshot. Then he went up to Kyrin and said, "We need to talk." He ushered her towards his room and opened the door.

The design of his room included a raised platform were the Master Emerald sat. Knuckles led the way up the platform and stared at it for a moment to gather his thoughts. He sat down on the steps and beckoned Kyrin over.

After a moment of silence, he began.

"When I was on Angel Island, I guarded the Emerald alone. Maybe that is why people think I am foolish. Because I am alone most of the time, I don't understand the problems between people. I am too trusting and I get cheated easily.

"However, because I was left on my own for so long, I had a lot of time to think. There are days when I wonder why I have to guard the Emerald. Why did the echidna race have to make something so huge, place it somewhere so prominent, and make someone guard it all day? Why was I chosen for this? Why did my race die out? Why was I the last of them all? Why did Soultouch exist if divorces still happen? Why did Soultouch exist if I am destined to be alone?

"I came to realize that sometimes, the whys and hows are no longer important. Think about it, if knowing the why and how would not change anything about who you are and what you know or plan to do, what is the point of finding out? Some questions exist without definite answers, and some questions remain unanswered for all our lives. The important thing is that you know your heart is true."

Kyrin hugged her knees and buried her face in her cream-colored scarf. Whatever else she knows about Kim Woo now, it would not change anything. He could be anyone. He could have lied. Maybe he didn't even love her at all. Maybe it was all a game to him. Tears well up in her eyes at this thought and dampened her scarf.

But Knuckles was right. Even if she did know the truth, things will not change. Kim Woo will still be working for Eggman. She would still be in the Ark. Her mother would still be dead. The war will still continue. What remains as the truth was how she had felt and believed, and how her heart would always be true to the people she cared about. She was sure that would never change.

A flutter of wings made them both look up. Rouge landed next to her and purred, "Is this the time for a group hug now?" Without waiting for consent, she drew Knuckles and Kyrin into her arms.

"Rouge! Why are you sneaking into my room again? Stop touching me!"

"Shut up, Knuckie! It's a group hug."

"I said STOP TOUCHING ME!"

Kyrin broke into a smile at their bickering. No matter how much these two seemed to hate each other, they always seem to lighten things up. When they finally broke apart, she'd stopped crying.

The door opened and the rest of the gang came in with Chuck. Shadow came first, and he cast Kyrin a questioning look. She wiped a stray tear off her face and smiled briefly back. He nodded and turned his attention back to the gang.

"Ok great! Everyone is here!" Amy gushed.

"Erm Amy? Why is everyone in my room?" Knuckles grumbled.

"Oh shut up, your room is the biggest. End of the story." She rubbed her palms together in excitement. "Now, let's pick our partners for the dinner held tomorrow night…"

"I don't see why we have to go," interrupted Sonic, looking dejected. "It is not as if the rest of the Freedom Fighters are here."

Amy glowered at him. "Well, Sonic! Like it or not, you are going with me. Sally isn't here, face it. Stop whining."

Everyone picked their partners. Tails picked Chris, Cream picked Cheese and that left Knuckles, Rouge, Shadow, Kyrin and Chuck. Chuck grunted and announced that he has no intention of attending "parties with political agendas". He left the gang and returned to his workshop.

"I pick Knuckles," Rouge said.

"Why me! I'm not going with you!"

"Why not?"

"You're batty!"

"Are you _afraid_?"

Knuckles turned red with anger at this, but before he could shout, Sonic spoke up. "Well that is settled then! And Unfriendly-Me gets to bring the Human Pet along. All's done!" With that, he spun and sped out of the room.

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. Rouge and Knuckles glared at each other in defiance. Kyrin shook her head and thought, 'This is going to be a rollercoaster ride of a dinner."

"Are you sure you are better?" Shadow asked as they left the room.

"Yea. Thanks." She punched him lightly on the shoulder, embarrassed.

"I see Knuckles did say something of use, then. Good night. I will see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Shadow."


	9. Chapter 9

It was nearly time to meet up with the gang. They had planned to meet in Knuckles's room at 6.30pm. Everyone was gathered at the foot of the Master Emerald platform. Cream and Cheese wore matching pink dresses. Amy wore a glittery silver dress to match Sonic's grey suit, which he was fidgeting in. Chris and Tails wore dark blue colored suits, and looked exceptionally smart in them. Kyrin wore a simple white dress with a light blue sash. Shadow opted for a black coat and stood leaning against the wall in one corner, avoiding the hustle and bustle. Rouge fiddled with her little black dress and her sparkling diamond bracelets impatiently. "What's keeping that Knucklehead so long?" she growled.

When he appeared, everyone was amazed. For the first time since they knew him, Knuckles looked wonderful. He wore a cream colored suit with a black bow-tie. Even Shadow raised an eyebrow and remarked under his breath, "What is the big deal about dressing up, anyway?" Nobody paid him much attention because they were all staring at Knuckles, who turned as red as his dreadlocks. Rouge forgot to scream at him and was looking at her bracelets with exaggerated interest.

"Well," said Sonic at last, scratching the back of his neck, "can we all go now that Prince Knuckles has arrived? I'm dying in this suit." He opened the door and led the way to the dining hall.

There was a large projector screen in the hall, and the FF's table sat right in front of it. The gang's table was on their left, nearer to the exit, which Sonic stole glances at several times during the opening speech. Amy got annoyed and told him that he could leave, since his fidgeting embarrassed her. Sonic sighed and resigned to his fate. He looked to his left, where Rouge was unnaturally quiet and sneaking glances at Knuckles. 'Well, surprise to you, Rouge…' he grinned to himself. This may not be so bad after all, if he could tease them later.

"… NIDS disease…"

Shadow's ears pricked up and he sat up immediately. The FF were talking about a newly launched research programme into this mysterious NIDS disease for which there was no cure. He knew this disease by heart. Maria had suffered from it. It was the only thing that kept her from going to Earth, which she never got to see.

"The best documented example we found in the archives belonged to Maria Robotnik."

Shadow felt a twinge in his heart. They were talking about her as if she were just another subject in a textbook. Just another example, just another case study…

"… the samples obtained during the autopsy were…"

Shadow was no longer listening. He clenched his fists. Autopsy! They had cut her up after she was shot and left to die, then conveniently slipped her into their archives, as though she were a lab rat. As though she was not even human…

The next thing he knew, Kyrin put her hand on his fist. Then she was holding his hand and pulling him up from the table. They ran through the exit, and out into hallways. At first he was confused, then he was glad to be out of the dining hall. They kept running and he realized the route was familiar. They headed for the viewing gallery.

It was dark, the lights had been dimmed because everyone was expected to be at the dinner. They stood together, hands still linked, and watched the Earth below. The silence comforted him and he was glad that somebody was with him now.

"We should go back," he said at last, releasing her hand.

"No we don't have to."

"You'll miss the food."

Kyrin heard her stomach growl, but she ignored it. "I'm fine. I don't want to go back there. I don't want to hear it. And you don't, either."

"I don't like to run away from things," Shadow replied gruffly. But he stayed there and waited for her response.

"You don't have to run forever, Shadow. Maybe you could take some time out for yourself." For the first time, her eyes were not clouded with sadness. They were clear and he could see that this time, she was the one who was concerned. "Shadow, you don't have to be the Ultimate Lifeform all the time," she said softly.

She sat down and gazed at the Earth, thinking of what to say. Shadow was reminded of the days when Maria and him sat in the exact same spot. He sat down with her and stared at the floor, memories rushing through his brain. With Maria, he did not need to be the Ultimate Lifeform. He was Shadow, her only friend. They had been so happy together, there was no barrier between them. She was his soulmate.

They sat like this for a long time, perhaps a couple of hours. Shadow recalled each and every precious moment with Maria. Tears welled up in his eyes. Presently, he turned at looked at Kyrin. She too, had a faraway look on her face. They were both thinking about something they had lost, and the barrier that stood between them. With Maria, he had felt boundless joy. With Kyrin, he felt intense poignance, helplessness, and yet some brief flicker of hope. 'Maybe we both hope that someday, things will turn out alright,' he thought.

"You know," Kyrin spoke at last, "sometimes I think the heart is so vast and keeps so many things. There will always be space to accommodate a special memory, or a special someone."

She pointed at the watch on her wrist. "Look at the numbers on the face, Shadow. 12 slots for each hour, many more for each minute. Sometimes when I think about Kim Woo, I think of him as a sad and helpless past. Yet, he stays in my heart somewhere. He is like the 3 on my watch face. The minute and hour hands pass him by from time to time. But no matter what happens, 3 will always be there."

Shadow thought it over. Yes, no matter what happened, Maria will always be in his heart. She may have died, he may have changed, but she will always be in his heart. Maria is the 3 on his watch.

"So you hope that someday, you would find him and time would stop at 3?" he asked.

"No, Shadow. I think Kim Woo will never come back. Even if he did, things will not be the same."

She paused and continued, "Maybe I was just an interlude in his life. Like a passing cloud in the sky, momentarily noticed yet never really important enough to be held onto. Perhaps, we were from 2 different worlds. Maybe that's why he would not find me."

Shadow considered this. Maria was so different from him. Yet they were soulmates. A human and a hedgehog. He wondered what things would be like if she was still alive. Would he have become an interlude to her life too? No, that could not be, he knew Maria loved him.

"Shadow." Kyrin's voice broke his thoughts. "If I am an interlude in your life, I hope I mattered enough to have a place on your watch."

Shadow thought of all the moments they spent watching the Earth for the past two years, without speaking to each other. He thought of the recent events which led to their friendship, the discovery of the Chaos Emerald's powers, the sharing of pain that he found hard to express. "You mattered enough," he said quietly.

Kyrin's stomach growled again, much to her dismay. Shadow got up and sped away. She sat unmoving, looking at the Earth and thinking over their conversation. Before she knew it, he was back with two Fuji apples. "They ran out of green ones at the cafeteria," he said casually.

As they bit into the apples, Kyrin couldn't help but think of how amusing their situation was. Here they are, all dressed up for a dinner party, sitting on the floor and eating apples for dinner.

"So which number is the most important to you?" Shadow asked.

Kyrin smiled and looked at her watch. "None," she replied. "When I find the special Someone, he will not be any number. I will make him the spot that connects the hands of the clock. I will make him the centre of my universe."

In the dimness, the Chaos Emerald glowed blue again. They ate their apples in silence, basking in the comforting blue glow. A moment spent waiting for something, yet waiting for nothing.


	10. Chapter 10

"What was it like to have a home?" asked Shadow.

Kyrin looked up in surprised. She furrowed her brows for a moment, trying to remember. Her clearest memories of home were when she shared that little apartment in Glendale City with her mother. Before that… it was largely a blur.

"At first, you were just a child," she began slowly, "and your parents are the universe to you. Everything they did was right, everything they said was true. Everything you played with them was fun, nothing was ever harmful.

"Then you grow up and start having your own ideas about things. You start to disagree with them, and they try to make you obey. Because of these disagreements, my parents and I fought. They fought among themselves as well. You began to see their flaws as human beings, and that is hard to accept.

"Then you become an adult, and you realize that you can live on your own. You needed their approval and support less. They get angry at this, they feel you are being uncaring. You fight back because you want to live out your dreams, and you feel they wouldn't let you. They fear that you would get into trouble or live out a fantasy that would lead to your ruin. Many adults have forgotten or unfulfilled dreams that they never achieve in life. Many strive to achieve them but compensated otherwise.

"My father's dream was to be a historian. He lived his life enriched by knowledge but made poor by reality. His world became dominated with books, facts, figures and dates. It seemed to me that his family –human beings- became less important over time. My mother married my father because she dreamed of having a happy family. When that marriage broke down, my mother lost her dream."

Shadow frowned. "Seems like humans like to have company as well as being alone. Your people are contradictory," he said. He could not imagine himself being in such company. Why do they make such a fuss out of things, when one can just accomplish one's goals and be content?

Kyrin looked over and smiled sadly, "Yes, it is unfortunate for people to be so. We have all the moral values and rules to tell us how to behave with other people. But we cannot deny that at the end of the day, we all just want to have our lives the way we hope it would be. The human civilization brought about many great things, but it can never find our dreams."

"Do you dream, Shadow?" she asked suddenly.

"Yes, I do. I dream that I could fight all the evils in the world, so that no one would have to be hurt like Maria was. I dream that I could bring Maria back. I dream that I was strong enough to have prevented her death," Shadow replied softly. In the dim light of the Emerald, Kyrin saw tears glimmering in his eyes. 'How simple his dream was,' she thought. His heart may seem hardened and cold, but in this moment, she saw it was warm and pure.

A raspy cough jolted them out of their reverie. "Sorry to have frightened you guys," Chuck chortled, "but Tails sent me a message to say that you left the dinner party early. Seems like you both dislike formalities as much as I do, haha!"

He turned towards his workshop and called over his shoulder, "Why don't you two come with me? I've been working on something secret, and you might just want to be the first to try it out!"

They followed him to his workshop, where he opened a side door into a darkened room. Chuck flicked on the lights and they saw it was soundproofed. There was a console at the far end, with a huge screen. Nearby, there were two objects. They looked like motorcycle helmets with earphones and mouthpieces.

Chuck picked up one of the helmets and held it proudly. "This, my dear children, is called the Simulhead! It is a device that connects you to a simulator, so you can mentally transport yourselves into another world. In fact, I have designed it such that you can mentally transport yourselves into the world of your dreams!"

He handed one to Shadow and the other to Kyrin. "Try it out," he grinned and turned to push some buttons on the console. Kyrin and Shadow put on their helmets and waited. Chuck finished twiddling with the consoles and headed for the exit. Before he turned out the light switch, he said, "Just call out anytime you want to stop!" Then the room was engulfed in darkness.

_The sun was warm and the breeze was cool. Golden sunshine bathed every blade of grass on the river bank. The water gurgled merrily under a quaint stone bridge. There was a path leading from the bridge up to a little yellow cottage. White and pink daisies bobbed and danced in the breeze. Behind the little cottage, there was a large tree with sturdy branches. A little blue stone bench sat under the tree, looking over the river that flowed into a shimmering lake beyond._

_Shadow stood staring in awe at the scene before him. Maria had told him of nature and beauty, and painted a picture of a country house. He imagined that this would be exactly what they would find when they finally visited Earth together._

"_Maria, I am looking at our dream now," he murmured to himself. "Do you see it too?"_

_He walked up to the cottage and tried to enter. However, he could not turn the door knob. It was locked from the inside, and there was nobody there. Disappointed, he walked towards the stone bench and sat down. Looking up at the tree, he saw carved into its massive trunk: Shadow + Maria._

_Shadow jumped up in surprise. He had always wanted to do this, but never found the right place. He wanted to dedicate a place to Maria, a place where only he could find, a place that would always be beautiful and never change. Just like this…_

_Tears welled up in his eyes and he turned from the tree. He did not want Maria to see him cry. As he blinked away his tears, he looked over at the opposite bank and saw the complete opposite of his world._

_It was a world of twilight, or perhaps early dawn. Everything was submerged in a subterranean blue-green hue. _

_There were tall trees, shrubs and gravel paths. Everywhere, luminous flowers and dewdrops glowed, lighting up the entire forest. It looked like the forest floor was strewn with diamonds. From the trees, vines with shimmering leaves hung like Christmas fairy lights. It was very quiet and still. This side of the river gurgled quietly, but its bottom sparkled as if silver dust had fallen in. _

_There was a small pavilion to the side of the gravel path, overlooking the river. It was white, with intricate designs like the wings of dancing swans. Within this pavilion, there was a small candlelit lamp hung on the wall, giving off a soft flickering glow._

_On one of the pillars, there was an engraving in elegant cursive font: Where are you?_

_Beside the pavilion, there was a huge dark tree. Silvery green apples hung from the branches, glowing like bulbs. A delicate-looking swing hung from it. It was white with silver details of leaves and flowers. It was just wide enough for two people to sit. _

_Shadow stared in wonder at this ethereal looking world. The lamp flickered again and he saw Kyrin standing in the pavilion, next to the candle. 'So this is what her dream world looks like,' he thought, amazed by its peaceful solitude._

_Kyrin indulged in her dream world, allowing all the details to be committed to her memory. As she turned around to look over the river, her eyes met Shadow's, and for a moment both stopped breathing. They looked at each other's dream world in wonder, taking in all of its details. Both were struck by how beautiful their own dream world was, and how beautifully different the other was._

_They walked to the bridge and met in the middle, on the cusp of each other's world. Together, they looked down and saw his golden water flowing side by side her silvery water. Kyrin touched Shadow's hand, and he turned to her._

_In each other's eyes, they saw a common understanding. _

_He wanted to share his world of warmth and sunshine with Maria, but she was not there._

_She wanted to share her world of peace and quiet with Kim Woo, but he was not there._

SNAP!

The mirage vanished and the lights came back on. Kyrin and Shadow opened their eyes and saw the sound-proofed room with its screen and consoles. They turned to each other and she realized she was still touching his hand. She drew back just as Chuck turned around from the consoles.

"Sorry to cut the fun short, pals!" he chuckled. "You see, I didn't realize that the Chaos Emerald could cause such a power surge."

"Chaos Emerald?" wondered Shadow. He took the blue Emerald and held it up.

"Ah yes, Shadow! That is what I mean! You were carrying it while using the Simulhead and it resulted in a power surge. Tell me, did anything strange happen?"

"It appears our simulated worlds converged, Chuck," replied Shadow.

"Interesting, very interesting!" Chuck said. "This could open a whole new world of possibilities, Shadow. We could all finally have our very own virtual reality world!"

He twiddled with the consoles for a few more seconds, then stretched himself and yawned. "Now," he said, turning to the two of them, "how about some pizza?"


	11. Chapter 11

The aroma of mozarella cheese filled the workshop. Chuck pushed the button and took the pizza from his microwave oven. "Hawaiian with extra ham!" he announced, plonking the sizzling pizza in front of them. He started to put another pizza into the oven. "Seafood pizza will be ready to join in the fun!" he winked.

Chuck sat down with them after the other pizza was done. As they ate, he talked about his Simulhead machine. He told them of how Chris had missed Sonic and the gang so much after travelling home, that he decided to build something that could replicate the environment. He wanted Chris to stop feeling upset.

As he built the machine, a way was discovered for their worlds to coexist, so there was no need for his machine anymore. When they got back into contact with the gang, Chuck noticed that Tails still missed Cosmo, so he went back to working on the machine. He had planned to surprise Tails with it, but it was not working properly yet.

"Both of you have known loss, so I am sure you can understand how Tails feels. Beneath his cheerful exterior, his heart is crushed. He may be well on the mend – from my perspective, he deals better than you both – but I doubt he would ever be the same," Chuck concluded.

BAM! The door was flung open just as Chuck picked up the last slice of pizza.

"This is UNFAIR!" cried Sonic in bewilderment, still scratching himself under the suit. "You!" he yelled accusingly at Shadow. "You took you human pet out for a date and I catch you here eating pizza, and I'm not invited?"

The rest of the gang trickled in, looking tired but amused. "Oh come on, Sonic," Amy said, "it wasn't that bad. You ate so much."

"Yeah," Knuckles snorted, "you stuffed your face more than any of us. What's a pizza compared to the feast you had, right Rouge?"

"Mmm…" Rouge appeared to still be dazzled by Knuckles. She smiled and continued looking at him shyly.

"Hey quit ganging up on me. And Rouge, stop drooling over Knuckles already!" retorted Sonic.

"Wh-what!" Rouge snapped at Sonic. She moved to give him a piece of her mind, but Knuckles stayed her. He put her hand firmly on his arm and winked at Sonic. "Jealous of the attention, Sonic?" he smirked, while beckoning to Amy who joined him on the other arm. "I guess its time you stop scratching like a flea-infested mouse!" The trio chuckled while Sonic turned pink with annoyance and gave up. He flopped into the chair next to Kyrin and continued glaring at Shadow.

"Alright guys, chill!" Chris said, taking a seat next to Shadow. "We've got news to share. Shadow, you were absent so here's what happened.

"The G.U.N has contacted the Freedom Fighters. It appears that Eggman had shifted his attention to a small planet called Nova12, in a distant part of the galaxy. Little is known about this planet, but they fear leaving Eggman to his own devices. Given the right amount of time and materials, he could create a lot of destruction. They fear that he might turn out to be a ticking time bomb, like the Metarex."

Tails cleared his throat. "Um, the Metarex wasn't a ticking time bomb," he said. "They were just trying to defend themselves and got carried away. They were the same race as Cosmo and we all know she was not a ticking time bomb."

Seeing everyone silenced and uncomfortable, he explained, "I'm not being touchy about this guys! I just mean that Eggman's motives are entirely different. The Metarex sought to protect themselves from external attacks. Eggman, though, seeks excitement from domination and challenges from Sonic and others who opposes his plans."

"You're right, Tails," agreed Chris. "Whatever the case, Eggman's disappeared from this world and ours for a very long time. The FF and G.U.N have agreed to send out an investigating team each. Both teams will travel together to the planet Nova12 and conduct a joint investigation."

"And the Freedom Fighters would like us to join them," announced Amy proudly. She patted Sonic on the shoulder. "They are impressed by Sonic and Shadow's achievements, so they want us on their team!"

Shadow frowned. He had not plan on teaming up with so many unknown partners. Sonic's gang was fine, he knew that they were never dishonest and always fought on the side of justice and the greater good.

It was the unfamiliar humans he doubted.

The ones who took Maria.

The ones who betrayed Dr. Gerard Robotnik.

The ones who would hurt their own kind. Like Kim Woo.

Cream cut into his thoughts. "We haven't got much time to prepare," she sighed, "because they want us to leave in a fortnight's time. And we don't know how long this journey would be. I heard some FFs doubt they would ever make it back…"

"Oh don't worry, Shadow can always Chaos Control us back here," Sonic quipped.

"But Sonic, that depends on whether I still have the Emeralds when the time comes. Even if I do, would they still have their powers?" said Shadow. Everyone's face fell at this.

"Guys, stop being so depressed," Tails said. His twin tails twitched nervously, and Chris noticed. "What do you want to say, Tails?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I was just thinking that we could take it as a journey of exploration. Maybe we can find allies, new planets with people and animals like us! Remember that Cosmo wanted to spread her seeds throughout the galaxy? She wanted to bring peace to the universe, and I am sure we can find others just like us out there," Tails said.

Chuck cleared his throat and all attention was on him. "Tails is right," he said, "and you young people should be exploring as much as you can. We have to be prepared for whatever Eggman has got in store for us. Sitting around worrying will not help us defend against his attacks."

Shadow looked at Kyrin, who had been quiet and motionless since the conversation began. Her blank face showed no expression. He wondered what she felt. Sure, she hated Eggman and wished to have him persecuted. But why did she look so down?

'Perhaps, if we all leave, she would be left alone,' he thought. 'Even if we could take her along, she would not be able to help us much. Well, perhaps she could, but the FF would never approve. So either way, we are going to have to leave her behind...' He frowned deeply. 'I don't want to leave anyone behind again.'

The gang had come to the conclusion that they have to go on this journey. As it was way past midnight, they staggered back to their rooms, exhausted and sleepy. Just as Kyrin was about to fall asleep, she heard a soft knock on her door.

"You were awful quiet tonight. Are you alright?" Rouge barged in and sat down on Kyrin's bed.

"Rouge! Aren't you with Knuckles?"

"No honey, I've got my own room," she sniffed, pretending to be mad. "I just thought you were awfully quiet tonight. What's the matter, did Shadow upset you?"

"No, he didn't. We had a great time."

"I'm sure you did. He is a very charming creature, isn't he?" Rouge teased.

Kyrin laughed. "Yes, I guess," she agreed, sitting down with Rouge. "He didn't make me mad. Its just… I have only just known all of you better, and now everyone will be leaving again." She picked at her blanket absently. "I guess I just don't want to get used to being alone again."

Rouge hugged her. "Kyrin, you are never alone! No matter where we are, we will not forget you. We will be back, I am sure of it!" she said soothingly. "And I promise you girl, I will drag Shadow back by his quills if I have too. Now don't you start missing him yet!"

"Rouge, I don't!"

"Good! Now get some sleep and stop worrying." Rouge started for the door, turning around to throw Kyrin a cheeky wink. Kyrin smiled gratefully. It was nice to know they cared, and she was comforted to know that they would not forget her, even if they were to travel across the universe.


	12. Chapter 12

"Need a hand?"

Kyrin looked at to see Shadow watching her clean the storage chest. It was intended for their journey to Nova12. "Almost done, Shadow. Give me a moment," she replied.

"I haven't seen you around much," he observed.

"I've been caught up with work. So much cleaning to do," she replied absently, cleaning out the inner corners with extra zest. She had been cleaning storage items for over a week since the announcement. She had worked over time, skipped meals and on some days, even started work earlier than anyone else.

"Should I be glad that you're not crying your eyes out instead?" Shadow peeked over and saw that he got her attention. "Is this your way of distracting yourself from things you don't want to talk about yet?"

Kyrin stood up and leant against the storage chest. "I'm not used to being alone after you guys came into my life. But I know this journey is important for the greater good. I know you guys are doing the right thing, and I trust that you will be fine." She smiled but it looked strained. She avoided his piercing gaze.

"Is that all?" asked Shadow.

Kyrin nodded and pointed at the storage chest. "Help me with this, Shadow?" she said, changing the topic. He probed no more and helped her carry it to the loading bay.

That night, Kyrin sat at the gallery alone, watching the stars. She wondered whether they will be able to see the same stars from Nova12. She wondered how long it will be before she sees them again. There was just one more day to go.

A gloved hand picked up her fallen cream-colored scarf and wrapped it around her neck. She guessed the identity of her companion from his quiet ways.

"Time flies," Shadow observed, sitting next to her.

"One more day, and you'll be heading for Eggman," she replied softly. She ran her hand through her hair agitatedly, messing it up instead of taming it.

"What is it that you're not telling me?" Shadow asked softly.

"Nothing. I'm fine, really," she insisted. Shadow kept quiet and waited.

"Well ok," she said finally. "I just hope I will see you again."

Shadow was surprised. "Of course you will," he said, "We will come back as soon as the investigations are done." He thought he sounded more positive than he intended.

"It's easy for you to say, Shadow. All of you come from a place where time passes slower than our world. You are so different from us. You age slower, you live longer. You have powers to protect yourselves and the universe. And you, Shadow, you were made to be infallible. You are so graceful, powerful and ageless…" Here she paused and struggled to find the words to speak.

"Shadow, there is something you may not feel as acutely as I do. Human beings are weak and have a very short life-span, in comparison to your kind," she said softly. "We age quickly, we fall faster than we would like to admit. Eyesight dim, memories blur and eventually we fade away, not even fully conscious of our surroundings. Do you know what scares me most? Not that I will die, but that I might not hang in there long enough to see those I care about. I'm afraid I might not even be aware I am slipping away until I am gone. I'm afraid I may not live to see you return."

Shadow contemplated her words. She was right. They don't know how far and long they would need to travel. They do not even know whether they would find anything on Nova12. No one really knows if they could even get back by Chaos Control. No one really wanted to talk about what would happen if they did not find a way back. There was just no telling of what the future holds once their ship leaves the Ark.

But he had to believe that their mission will be fruitful. And he had to find a way to keep her hopeful for the future, instead of sinking into a mental whirlpool like she had for the last 2 years.

"Just remember, Kyrin, that you will be on my watch and I'll be on yours," he said eventually. "I cannot replace number 3, but I will be there at number 4. And so will the rest of us. Everytime you miss us, just look at your watch."

He reached over and held her hand in his. He let her fingers slip in between his, and gripped them gently but firmly. "Remember that someone once shared this space with you. Someone once stayed with you when you were drunk. Someone once held your hand. It all happened right here but more importantly, in your heart," he said quietly.

In the dimness of the night, he thought he saw tears glimmering in her eyes. The Emerald gave off its soft blue glow between them, and he thought he saw a tear running down on cheek. Her fingers tightened around his. He felt them trembling through his white glove. Tugging her closer, he let her lie on his shoulder as they watched the stars.

'I could speak forever,' Shadow thought, 'but it will not change that fact that I am leaving her behind and she may never see me again. What can I do to lessen the hurt to her?'

A shooting star flashed by. In silence, they watched it pass. No wishes were made, because both believed that this moment would never be forgotten.

"_Shooting star! Make a wish!"_

_It was a class camp at some adventure campsite, and Kyrin was sitting with a bunch of female friends. They had stayed up to look out for shooting stars. All of them made wishes._

_Their faces were unclear in her memories. Years of broken contact had blurred their features. One melted into another, and she could no longer recognize any one of them. Yet, Kyrin distinctly remembered that moment when all of them sat together, huddled in the chilly night air and watching the sky._

_A gentle strumming of guitar accompanied them. There were a few boys in her class who played guitar for fun. She remembered the guitar music. It had fitted the moment like a glove. In her mind, her friends' faces were no longer visible and their names long misplaced, but that moment of peace, quiet, hope and camaraderie always remained. It is this remembering that gives life its value._

_It was a year of joy and fun. It was a time of peace and comfort. Those were the days when the future had seem so fixed, as if things would always eventually turn out the way their young teenaged minds assumed. Camps were there to be fun. Classes were there to be disliked. Exams were there to be annoying. Holidays existed because they pleased. The future existed because the grown-ups said it should._

_Back then, she never thought about pain, loss or war. That night, she wished for love. 'I wish for the love of a lifetime. I wish for my prince charming to appear soon, and we could be happy together forever and ever!' she whispered to the shooting star._

_She never thought of the day when nothing mattered except to know that you were not alone. Where once her mind was filled with wishes and wonders, it was now filled with an insatiable longing to just remember and be remembered. _


	13. Chapter 13

The lights were dimmed in the hallways. It was already past midnight, but Kyrin was still up and about. She rubbed her sore shoulder as she trudged back to her room. In a few hours' time, the gang will board the ship and leave for Nova12. The thought of all her friends going where she cannot made her sleepless. She had stayed up to clean up the loading bay to occupy her mind.

As she passed Chuck's workshop, the door opened. Tails and Chris stepped out and jumped back. "Ah! Kyrin! Sorry, we almost walked into you," apologized Chris. "Why are you still up?"

"Oh! I was just cleaning up the loading bay," she replied. "I don't feel like sleepy anyway. You two are working late tonight. Shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow's flight?"

Tails twitched his twin tails awkwardly. "I can't get to sleep too," he said nervously. "Its been some time since I flew into space after Cosmo… you see. I'm kind of nervous. Plus, we've got some last minute work to do."

"Are you hungry?" asked Chris. "We were just about to have some supper from the vending machines. I could grab you something."

"Ok, I'll have some hot cocoa then," Kyrin answered. A moment later, they sat in the workshop with hot cocoa and chips, while some of the machines whirred in the background.

"Grandpa is going to miss me a lot," Chris said sadly, stirring his cocoa. "I feel bad about leaving him here. If I don't make it back, he will never see me again. Yet I must go with Sonic, Tails and the rest! I have to help them fight Dr. Eggman. I just don't know if I am being selfish."

Kyrin nodded understandingly. "I know how your grandpa feels, Chris. We will miss you and we fear that all of you may never return. But if this is the right thing to do, and you are the right person to do it, we can't hold you back just because we fear losing you."

Tails put his hands out and held their hands in each of his. "Guys, I wish I could take all of you. Chris, I'm so sorry I could not take Chuck with us. Kyrin, I'm sorry I could not take you with us, too. But I promise we would be back as soon as possible. You must have faith in all of us, especially Sonic and Shadow. They will never give up trying to get back to the Ark."

"Will you be able to make contact with the Ark?" asked Kyrin.

"Perhaps," Tails frowned, "I'm sure we need to contact the FF base somehow."

"But even if we do, Grandpa and you will not get to hear it. It will be top secret," sighed Chris. Kyrin's shoulders drooped but she managed a small smile. "Its ok, Chris. I will visit your grandpa often. I'm sure he will invent something that could contact your ship."

"Yeah," Tails chipped in, "I'm sure he will think of a way for us to be in touch. We'll never be apart!"

"Kyrin," Chris said, "I'm the only other human in the group besides Grandpa, but I have not helped you when you were down. I'm sorry. Now that I'll be gone a long time, I've got to trouble you to look after Grandpa for me."

"Don't mention it, Chris. All of you helped me."

"Yes, especially Shadow!" said Tails. "You must have faith in him, Kyrin. He will never abandon the people he cares about. Remember how he would do almost anything for Maria even though she died a long time ago? I am sure Shadow will find a way back as soon as possible."

The machines stopped whirring and Tails went to check on them. When he came back, they locked up the workshop and turned in for the night.

"_Where are you?"_

"_Will you find me?"_

"_Will I see you again?"_

_Kyrin huddled under her blanket and covered her head with a pillow. After being rescued, the FF had placed her in a holding room furnished with a bed and nothing else. The room was small and dark, the only place where no one would disturb her. She could hide here, the only place where she could be alone._

_Yet the voices followed her. They were her own voices and in the silence they drew strength and multiplied in numbers. All the thoughts she had found nowhere to articulate or no reason. In some ways, she was afraid of saying them. She had nothing left anymore, except these voices and thoughts. She would have nothing if she let them out. Holding these tormenting voices inside her was the only way to possess something of her own._

_They will all leave you. Everyone will eventually leave. What we have are memories, and even then they might slip from you if you are careless. The only way to own them is to remember them, and remind yourself of them. She haunted herself, excruciatingly finding ways to torture her mind and body. Pain helps her remember better, and fear makes sure she never forgets. Tears remind her that she once valued something so much._

_They will all leave you. Everyone will eventually leave._

RIIIING!

Kyrin jerked awake. Her alarm clock had gone off. It was now 5.30am. Shadow's ship would leave at 8am. She got up and looked to her table. Her eyes fell on the framed paper, her gift from Shadow. Beside it, a grey box sat. She checked its contents. Then, satisfied with her preparations, she went to wash up and prepare for the day.

Shadow stayed up all night, thinking about the Ark. This was the place where he was born. This was where he met Maria. This was where he loved and lost her. This was where Sonic and gang reminded him of his promise to Maria. This was a place full of important memories.

He thought about Kyrin and their entwined simulated dream worlds. This was where he met someone who shared his pain. If Maria was his soulmate in his innocence, Kyrin was perhaps the closest he found to a soulmate in pain and loss. He hated to think that, after helping her back to her feet after a crushing loss, he would now be the new cause of pain and loss.

Everyone met in the cafeteria for breakfast. There was a hustle and bustle around, the air alive with excitement. Amy, Cream, Cheese and Tails were animatedly discussing flight details. Knuckles and Rouge were arguing over the Master Emerald's defenses. Sonic and Chris were talking to Chuck, who looked both happy and worried. He held Chris's hand in both palms and tried to smile, but his eyes shone with tears.

Shadow sat on his own, sipping his coffee quietly. When Kyrin entered, he made eye contact with her and she smiled back encouragingly. He hadn't been able to speak with her much, being busy with preparations. He wondered if saying goodbye would be too flippant.

"Shadow!" Rouge growled suddenly. "Talk some sense into him, will you!"

"I don't need sense when you're the batty one!" argued Knuckles. "I'm the Guardian so I decide how to guard the Master Emerald!"

Seeing Shadow preoccupied with Rouge and Knuckles, Kyrin sat with Amy and the rest. Cream and Cheese were sad to leave the Ark, where they had grown to love. Kyrin promised them that she would adopt Cream's pot of white daisies and look after them as best as she could. Amy hugged Kyrin and told her that she would be missed terribly.

At this moment, the FF entered the cafeteria.

"Shadow, Sonic! Could we have a word with you?" Ms. Nadina called out. She smiled coldly at Kyrin. "Here to bid your friends goodbye? Make it swift."

Kyrin looked at her watch. It was already 7am. Everyone seemed to get more excited as boarding time approached, and made their way to the boarding platform.

In the midst of chattering and last minute details, Shadow and Kyrin caught a glimpse of each other. She sighed, thinking that goodbye was perhaps harder to get across than she thought.

There was less than an hour to go. Then they will be gone for a very long time.


	14. Chapter 14

"All units prepare for boarding! All units prepare for boarding!"

The announcement blasted through the hallways. Kyrin brushed her hair, straightened her grey hooded jacket and picked up the grey box. She had come back to her room to tidy up before sending the gang off. Shuffling of feet could be heard outside, as people prepared to board or send the travelers off. There were shouts and jostling, mostly about last minute baggage checks.

Her fingers paused on the door knob. Just beyond this door, her friends are preparing to leave her for goodness knows how long. Once she opens the door, she would have to face losing her loved ones again. Here within the four walls of her room, she can get used to solitude, but if she ventures out into the hallways, she would be facing the loss of everyone familiar to her, again…

'This is not farewell. They will return. They won't leave you forever," she said to herself. Taking a deep breath, she moved her hand and in a moment, she was standing in the hallway.

Shadow went to the workshop. Chris and Tails were bidding Chuck goodbye. Both of them tried to smile, but Chris was brushing tears from his eyes. Chuck's eyes and nose were red from crying, but he patted both on their heads and tried to cheer them up. All three looked embarrassed to see Shadow.

"Hi Chuck," said Shadow, "thank you for helping us all this while. We will not be gone long. I promise you Chris will return to your side as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I'll be back soon, Grandpa," sniffled Chris.

"Don't worry, I'll come back with Chris and we can examine more ways to modify the Tornado!" added Tails hopefully.

Chuck chuckled and ushered them to take their belongings. Then he followed them down the hallway, one hand firmly but gently planted on his grandson's shoulder.

Kyrin was talking to Sonic and Amy at the boarding platform. They were assuring her that they would return as soon as possible. She smiled back and hugged them, wishing them a smooth journey. Knuckles and Rouge joined in, with a lot of bickering, but both promised not to kill each other on the mission.

She looked up and saw Shadow, Chris, Chuck and Tails approaching. Chris and Tails came up to her and hugged her goodbye. As all of them watched, Shadow came last. He stood stiffly, being unused to the affection displayed by all of them.

"Alright, guys. Let's leave Unfriendly Me with his Human Pet for some loving time, shall we?" drawled Sonic. Everyone giggled and moved a short distance away. Shadow ignored them, folding his arms and fidgeting awkwardly.

Kyrin smiled softly and handed the grey box to Shadow. "Open it," she said. He opened it and found a green apple nestled in strips of paper. On top of the green apple was a bracelet woven from grey and red colored threads. A small metal charm in the shape of a green apple hung from it.

Red – "Be careful".

Grey – "I must go" and…

Shadow watched Kyrin pick the bracelet up and tie it to his left wrist. "I made this myself," she said, "a reminder of this brief interlude in your life." She tried to laugh at her own joke, but failed.

Shadow winced at her obvious sadness. She was ruffling her hair, which she sometimes does when she is flustered or upset.

"Give me your hand," he said. She looked surprised, but stretched out her right hand. He produced a gold bangle with a clasp, and slid it onto her wrist. The bangle was a perfect fit.

Kyrin gasped in surprise. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She had not expected to receive anything from Shadow, let alone something so beautiful. She looked closely and saw that there were bits of crystals embedded in the gold bangle. Red, blue, yellow, green, white, pink, purple and silver crystals sparkled.

"I had Chris and Tails help me make this last night," explained Shadow as he fastened the clasp on the bangle. "This ring is made with a special gold alloy metal and fake Chaos emerald fragments. It will react to both my gold rings, and the seven Chaos Emeralds. Watch this."

He held his gold ring close to her wrist. Both his ring and her bangle glowed. Then he held his blue Chaos Emerald next to her bangle and both glowed again.

"This way, you will know if the Chaos Emeralds are nearby, or when I have returned," added Shadow softly. He looked up stiffly, hoping that she would not be upset and crying. This is the first time he is formally bidding goodbye to anyone, and he did not like feeling helpless.

Kyrin hugged him unexpectedly. It was all he could do to keep his quills from standing up in shock. He could hear her sniffling on his shoulder, and it made him more frantic. There was nothing he could do. He put his arms around her, like he had seen the others do when they hugged. It felt strange to him, but it seemed to be the right thing.

"Thank you so much, Shadow," Kyrin said between sniffles. "You have been a great help to me, by being there to keep me company. I will never forget you."

"Neither will I," Shadow replied. "You have helped me too. Now I know that I am not the only one who will take forever to heal from pain." He patted her back soothingly. "I want you to promise me not to be sad. We will return, so you must not cry over this."

"Okay, I promise."

"I have to go now."

"I know."

"I'll see you, Kyrin."

"I'll see you, Shadow."

They parted from the embrace. Shadow went to join the team, and announcements were made for boarding and final checks. The gang waved one last time. Finally, the doors slid shut and engines revved up. Slowly, the spacecraft moved and lifted off slowly. Kyrin and Chuck moved off the boarding platform and headed for the viewing gallery.

From the clear glass panels, Kyrin and Chuck watched their loved ones edge slowly out into space. As if in response, the spacecraft picked up speed and blasted off into the horizon of the galaxy. It took a minute, but it felt like years of life had been sucked out of Kyrin and Chuck. They watched the dust trail fade out into the darkness of space.

Kyrin touched her bangle gently and despite herself, a tear slid down her cheek. 'Take care, Shadow. I will be waiting,' she whispered to the last of the melting dust trail, 'Someday I will see you – and everyone – again…'


	15. Chapter 15  Epilogue

She watched the glimmer of embers fading into the night sky. Eventually, the sparks melted into nothingness. Despite the bangle on her arm and the promise to believe in them and not to cry, she felt alone again.

A gruff clearing of throat brought her back to her senses. Chuck wiped his eyes with his wrinkled hands, then thrust them into his pockets as if to hide his tears away. He nodded in the direction of his workshop and said, "So, I guess we've got to get back to work, eh? How would you like to come to the workshop? I fixed the Simulhead's power surge issue, it should be working fine now. Care to try it out?"

Kyrin nodded and followed the old man to his workshop. From behind, his back seemed to droop even lower now that his grandson and young fox friend are gone. She felt sorry for him, and vowed to take care of him for Chris until the gang returns.

Chuck led her to the soundproofed room and flicked on the lights. As he began tinkering with the consoles, he explained what he had been up to. "I managed to reroute the energy from the Chaos Emerald –if one happened to be present- to enhance the clarity of the images. That way, the Simulhead can be more realistic and enjoyable. But since we do not have one here at the moment, we have no need to worry about power surges or trips.

"Before they left, I had Tails try it out. He badly needed to see Cosmo once again. I believe it was what he needed – a proper chance to say goodbye. He spent a long time in here, when he came out of it he said this was the best gift one can ever present to him. I think, in fact, this is what everyone owed him."

He handed the helmet to Kyrin. "Go on. Even though Tails had already tried it out, you can have a second go. Pick up where you left off," he winked. Then he fastened the helmet, turned off the lights and shut the door behind him.

In the darkness, Kyrin sat on the floor. The helmet hummed gently and she waited to her dream world to come to her. Eventually, a faint distant glow appeared. Brighter and brighter it grew, until she found herself enveloped by the golden halo. Kyrin stood up and stepped into the light.

She stood at the wooden bridge, just like she did last time. But this time she was taken aback by the changes in her dream world. Patches of her subterranean-like world intermingled with golden sunshine and bobbing flowers. Where once there was glowing dewdrops in dimlit forest floors, now there are patches of glossy grass thriving in sunlight. Under the bridge, silver water mingled with golden currents.

She realized that her dream world had overlapped with Shadow's. She looked to his side of the world. The stone bench sat in the warm golden light, but the cottage sat in a serene bluish hue, glowing dewdrops hanging from its window sills. She turned to her side. Her swing sat motionlessly in a green reverie while the pavilion shimmered with golden rays.

Cautiously, she walked to the pavilion. Every swan wing sparkled and shone, as if they were really made of glossy feathers. Where once lonely solitude lived, brightness and hope illuminated the corners and the pillars. She felt as if she was floating in a capsule of gold glitter. Her pavilion was a riot of golden vibrance, as if in celebration of some immensely joyous event.

Feeling overwhelmed by the changes, she stepped out to the swing. She needed some time to take everything in and make sense of it. How and why did their dream worlds merge? When had it happened? Did Chuck's rerouting of Chaos Emerald energy causing this? Was Chuck aware of this? Did Shadow know of this?

_Shadow._

His name echoed in her mind and her eyes, feeling drawn by an invisible force, landed on a thin roll of paper beside her on the swing. She had never noticed it before, and picked it up for a closer examination. The paper was a creamy off-white, smooth and resilient. It was rolled up and tied with golden string.

Curious, she untied the roll of paper. The handwriting was familiar and her heart skipped a beat.

_Kyrin,_

_We may be from different worlds, _

_but I will always find you._

_Shadow._

A fountain of emotions erupted within her and she broke into a smile. Tears came to her eyes, but they were tears of joy and hope. She was not just an interlude after all. Her life may be short and insignificant, compared to his, but that did not make her a less important friend.

Kyrin rolled up the paper, tied the string back carefully. Then she placed it carefully back on the swing. She may not be able to take it out of this simulated dream world, but she would always carry it in her heart. This place, this dream and this note would be wholly theirs, and no one could remove it from them.

Kyrin looked back with a faint smile as she prepared to leave the simulation. 'I trust and believe in this. Someday, we will find each other…'


End file.
